"You're talking about Huli, right? He's a good friend of mine."
Despite being extremely nervous, An Yao appeared calm on the surface and even flashed a harmless smile at the man.
"You already knew about this, didn't you?"
"He taught me a lot about medicine back in the city, so you could say he's like half my teacher. He's both a friend and a mentor to me, and I'm grateful to him... The hug just now was a farewell gesture."
Her explanation sounded reasonable and well-founded.
"Friend? Is it really just... friendship?" Gu Di'er kept his gaze fixed on her without saying a word.
Whether he was in humanoid or beast form, large or small, being subjected to his dark, intense gaze couldn't help but send shivers down her spine and make her feel uneasy.
An Yao swallowed nervously and continued her sincere explanation, "Yes, that's right. He's a very good friend of mine, so hugging each other before parting is quite common in our tribe."